April on the Mountain
Early Spring Means Full Go
If you like this post, please hit the ❤️ and share!
The warm weather had me impatiently waiting for spring. For a couple of weeks, I was stuck between seasons, watching the snow melt but unable to drive or snowmobile. When the opportunity to buy a 20-drawer tool chest for the right price came up, we decided it was time to muscle our way out and start travelling the road.
Curt’s blue truck was the one for the job. Though it only has a short 5.5 ft box, it has more clearance and studded tires. We strapped the new toolbox into the back and slowly made our way up. Thankfully, the extra weight made for good traction and we made it back slowly but steadily. Once there, the next question was how to get it out of the truck.
A Simple Solution
If I were a fly on the wall, I’d have a good laugh at some of the solutions we come up with.
We backed my silver truck up to the toolbox and slid the box to span between both trucks. Then, using the tractor I gingerly got the forks into position. I lifted the toolbox only a few inches and held my breath as Curt drove each truck out from under it. If it began to fall for any reason I’d need to react fast! Thankfully, it wasn’t overweight and I gingerly moved it across the yard.
New Life on the Farm
Doing my usual morning ‘chores’ I made an exciting discovery. I opened the goathouse door, and a proud new momma ran out. In the corner this little guy lay upright but cold and shivering. After some time warming up in the house, and some super cute snuggles - he’s right as rain. His mom’s name is Dorothy and I call her Dory so, I decided to name him Nemo.
Since his birth, all four doe goats have kidded!
In March on the Mountain, I asked ‘How many babies will Mabel have?! The answer??
The one with upright ears is a girl, a doeling. The one with floppy ears is a boy, a buckling. I’m in love, and have five bouncy goat kids hopping around the yard! Comment below with name ideas for these two.
Playing in the Pickup
With a yard full of goats and the rabbit plan in full swing, we decided it was time to start building a barn. Days were filled with levelling ground and getting materials from town. To take a break we made a short trip to the top of the property in Shibby, enjoying a couple of beers before slowly bouncing our way back down.
The Sudden Death of Fawny the Rabbit
When Fawny gave birth to 9 kits outside of her nest, she was already off to a rough start. I brought them inside to warm them up and returned them to the nest a couple of hours later. She seemed to be happy and thankful for the help. A few days went by and she was doing great.
After a few more days, while doing my morning chores, I discovered all of them dead. Not only dead, but she’d killed them. Mother rabbits will sometimes kill their kits in an act of preservation if something scares them. So, I moved her to a quieter pen and let her grieve.
A couple more days later, I discovered her dead as well - a sad, shocking moment as I walked up to her cage. I shed a tear and carried on with my morning chores before deciding to do what I knew needed to be done. To be diligent, I needed to check her out and see if I had a contagious health problem on my hands.
Upon further inspection, I discovered a uterine disorder which I couldn’t have helped.
Though dissecting her seems grotesque and maybe a little cruel, I feel good to have gotten to the bottom of it. It’s an interesting change in mentality when growing your own meat. I liked Fawny. She was a friendly rabbit and I hoped to continue her line. But at the end of the day, she was one of my meat rabbits.
The Springtime Ups and Downs
Spring is a busy time, full of ups and downs. I was at a high after discovering little Nemo in the goat house. Then the sudden low when Sugar went missing and Fawny died, had me questioning life on the mountain. A rare moment for me.
Thankfully, Sugar returned and more baby bunnies were born.
Building the barn is exciting. I’m hoping to have it finished by the end of next month if mountain weather permits.
That is a great characteristic that you guys have, "adaptability." You have experienced at lot this go around, which is giving you that wonderful experience they call life. You are doing the "waltz" of adjusting to your physical environment, celebrating life, experiencing grief, creating and more. Periodically stop and reflect with appreciation, and give yourselves admiration.
Glad everything is starting to straighten itself out.